New Zealand 2018 — Mika's Photos

An amazing 6-day tour of New Zealand’s North Island, along the Thermal Explorer Highway. Highly recommended to anyone who loves the outdoors! Merry Christmas, and Happy 2019 everyone!!!

Here's our route, so you can follow along!

Our all-new Toyota Corolla Hatchback - which seems to be the single most popular car in NZ!

Merry Christmas from Auckland!

We begin our rainy walking tour at Auckland Town Hall, which now hosts events and shows.

The Auckland Art Gallery, which everyone speaks very highly of. Too bad it was closed!

An opportunitistic seagull took advantage of the quiet fountain and made it his bath tub.

Very tall stacked stone art installation at the edge of Albert Park.

What's with these shared electric scooters?

They're just left strewn about the entire city!

Sky tower is visible right now, down Victoria St.

Giant hovering mirror? (Normally this area is a hopping walking street!)

Here comes the sun -- oh wait. It's rain.

The Britomart area near the waterfront: the city's oldest buildings and newest architecture combined.

More Britomart.

The iconic Auckland Ferry Terminal, completed in 1912.

Giant Swedish/Norwegian freighter in port today.

Rain water collecting in the tracks along the pier.

Island ferries still operating, but the skyline fades in and out of view.

Almost blown away by the wind! (We were lucky the hotel had such large, sturdy umbrellas for us to borrow!)

That's supposed to be the magnificent Auckland Harbor Bridge. Barely visible!

One of the many boats that stayed in - smart!

More fishing boats and yachts.

When in New Zealand, it only seems natural...

... to celebrate Christmas with some quality local ice cream! Merry Christmas!

The flowers of the New Zealand pohutukawa - which we saw in many places throughout the north island!

Apparently Auckland has the highest yacht-to-resident ratio of any city in the world.

Famers Department Store is all decked out for the holidays!

The summit of Mt. Eden, Auckland's highest volcano -- which supposedly affords great views of the city!

It's a dormant volcano that last erupted 28,000 years ago. This is the crater!

Views of the residental areas behind us.

And views of the downtown area (harbor bridge, Sky Tower, etc.) once the clouds blew through.

This little doodle didn't want to go home yet!

Christmas dinner with our Korean friends!

Sky Tower was lit up exactly as expected!

Ain't no skim milk in NZ... only trim milk!

Our first NZ kiwifruit! (Of many to come.)

We're on the move! Spotted in Tirau: a giant dog...

... and a giant Sheep and Ram.

We arrive in Rotorua! Their i-Site is in this beautiful old building.

Downtown Rotorua.

The beautiful Lake Rotorua - a crater lake (and the second largest lake in the North Island.)

Nice and sunny - a welcomed contrast to Auckland!

Helicopter tours are a common attraction around here.

Ducks on metallic waters.

Nice scenery... and St. Faith's Anglican Church.

NZ is home to many a black swan!

This family had more guests than it had planned for at its picnic!

Next stop: Whakarewarewa (full name underneath) - an actual Maori village where residents use the abundant geothermal heat in their everyday lives.

21 families live in the village, although many of its residents work outside.

The village's central home - where key events, including funerals, are held.

Facial expressions are an important part of the culture - esp. in performances.

Even the tongue is used during performances.

As shown here!

They use the geothermal steam to cook their food. Put the food inside this stove, cover it, and come back 2-3 hrs later!

One of the many natural geothermal pools in the village. You can see them boiling vegetables in a sac there.

The water is naturally ~120° C.

They use the hot water for their baths / hot tubs.

Hot!

The Prince of Wales Feathers Geyser, on their property. It erupts every 1-2 hours.

Indistinguishable, right?

Another of the (small) geothermal lakes on their property.

Geothermal lakes abutting the village. Practical!

Next stop: the Redwood forest.

They recently opened a suspended tree walk through parts of the forest.

Unlike in WA, the walkways and platforms are suspended from the trees - not built into the ground.

They have a special night walk, where they illuminate the trees and several lanterns.

Tall trees!

Hello down there.

These are actually Californian Redwoods.

After a volcanic eruption in the 1880s destroyed the native forest, and the government realized that local tree species take a long time to mature, they started importing trees from around the world.

The Californian redwood did well - perhas because of how similar the cliamte and conditions are to northern California.

Some are really huge!

Forest floors are covered in ferns, across the island!

Our fist AirBnB - a private studio. Very well-equipped.

Enjoying the couch.

Bonus points for the painting on the wall!

Delicious dinner at Ali Baba - one of *many* Turkish meals we'd have.

Sunset over Lake Rotorua.

Very picturesque.

The grand Rotorua Museum - which is closed indefinitely, because it "falls well below earthquake safety standards".

On Thursday, we continue south toward Taupo.

But first, a stop at Lake Ohakuri...

... and Orakei Korako, another geothermal park.

This is a highly active geothermal area, and the largest geyser field in NZ.

The colors from the minerals from the alkaline water is brilliant!

Silica terraces.

Rainbow terrace.

They let you get surprisingly close to boiling waters!

Sulfer smell abounds - you have to not mind it!

What they call the "Artist's Palette".

Great view from above.

Zoom in on one of the silica vent.

Artist's palette!

Great colors.

More great colors.

There are also lots of bubbling mud pools in these geothermal areas.

Apparently the mud is great for your skin, with all its minerals. Blub blub!

Another spot with naturally boiling water!

Here too: check out the height on this boiling water!

A local butterfly.

Some folks enjoying the nice day on the lake.

Local black ducks with orange eyes.

These ducks enjoy the company of the guests.

No hand-outs here!

Cows! A colorful assortment of dairy cows!

This herd pretty much represents all the different colors of cows we saw.

Selfie with the pretty ladies.

A view of Taupo (the town and lake). Remember this for when we come back in a few days - it won't be nearly as blue!

Hmm! I wonder what this means!

Clear clarification: and a good idea!

Lunch at a classic cafe in Taupo.

I do love these ANZ cafes!!

Lots of brochures hiding in the Taupo i-Site.

Great view as we continue along, toward National Park.

We arrive at Pipers Lodge in National Park. A ski resort in the winter, it hosts hikers in the summer.

It has a communal kitchen, for those who prefer preparing their own meals.

One of the many local bunnies we spotted!

Doing a late afternoon "warm-up walk" to see the Taranaki Falls.

Here we go!

This track is rated "easy". A perfect warm-up for us.

It offers great, unobstructed views of Mt. Ngauruhoe, Mt. Tongariro...

... and Mt. Ruapehu. (This is the famous skiing moutain in winter.)

Downstream of the falls...

... but we must be getting near.

Here we are: Taranaki Falls!

A 20m falls, over an old lava flow.

The falls from above.

Photograph for a French family.

Dramatic scenery everywhere!

Short sleeves and snow!?

We will be seeing you tomorrow, Mt. Ngauruhoe!

Back in our room, preparing for tomorrow: someone's never had a bunkbed before. So he's excited.

They provide a hearty breakfast before you set out!

Here we go! Tongariro Alpine Crossing! Are we ready?

Yes we are!

Okay: they don't have to emphasize that we're only at KM 0.

The track starts out gently, at an altitude of 1120m.

Great morning view of Mt. Ruapehu.

Lots of people out trying the track.

Great views of the volcanic alpine landscape.

Looking back.

Mt. Ngauruhoe (the inspiration for Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings!)

Looking back again!

About to start what they call "Devil's Staircase" -- the first fairly steep part.

Off we go!

It's mostly single-file going through this part.

It's a mix of steps and angled path for the next 200 vertical meters.

Here he comes.

Spot the tiny people!

Looking ahead - surrounded by volcanic rock.

More tiny people.

Living on the edge.

Making progress.

Here it flattens out a bit - a natural resting point.

More people make their way up - with "Mt Doom" in the background.

We're eye-level with the clouds now.

Continuing on.

Crossing South Crater, a large (and welcomed flat) crater patch before the final vertical ascent.

Another clear shot of Mt. Ngauruhoe.

Spot the tiny people!

More great views of the mountainscape.

With South Crater behind us.

Volcanic landscapes.

Last views of South Crater, before we move on. (Spot the tiny people!)

Continuing up toward Red Crater.

And up and up we go! Don't look down!

The amazing Red Crater. Max altitude: 1868m.

Not so sure I'd choose to sit there!

Enjoying the great view from atop Red Crater.

Blue Lake, off in the distance.

Our first peek at the Emerald Lakes.

It's not so easy to get to them, though! The volcanic rock scree is deceptively tricky to walk on!

Beautiful Emerald Lakes (which are sacred to the local Maori tribe.)

Waters should remain untouched by visitors.

Fellow hikers, struggling with the skree.

Making our way down.

Tiny people!

Some people really struggled with this part -- but the reward once you reach the bottom is worth it.

Pano of the emerald lakes.

Beautiful lakes.

Group shot.

Quick break to soak up the beauty!

Geothermal steam in the background.

Continuing the downhill.

More geothermal, all the way up here.

On the edge of the world!

Overlooking the third Emerald Lake.

Blue skies, even bluer water!

Crystal clear reflections.

Mt. Ruapehu in the background.

Continuing across Central Crater. Spot the tiny people!

And see the old lava flow from Red Crater spreading out across the floor of Central Crater.

Snow in summer!

We've reached the edge of Blue Lake. Altitude: 1725m.

It's mostly downhill from here! You can see Lake Rotoaira in the background, and Lake Taupo even beyond that!

It's a different terrain - but equally beautiful.

Hills, valleys and lakes.

Walking on the edge!

You have to pay attention to where you're walking -- and stay on the path!

It's a slow and undulating trip back down to the base.

Weaving back-and-forth along the boggy, pumice hillside.

Can be brutal on your toes, too!

Path to nowhere.

Making our way back down.

Vegetation is returning.

Finally back at the finish, altitude 760m.

Here's a recap of the hike. (Or, as the Kiwis say, tramp.)

Celebrating the achievement with some local beer...

... and a nice warm dinner. (More falafel!)

And a beautiful sunset over our lodge.

New day, new adventure. Now we're back in Taupo, on the edge of the lake.

We found the oldest music store in NZ. They're still selling CDs!

An hommage to all the outdoor sports and activities hosted here.

We're starting our visit at the Marina...

... where we'll ride this boat out to see the Maori rock carvings.

An intimate setting: 18 passengers and 1 captain cum tour guide.

There was one small patch of blue sky for an instant - we managed to capture it!

Otherwise, it was grey and overcast all day! What a contrast to yesterday!

But the grey day didn't stop the parasailers.

The captain tried to sail - but couldn't catch any wind. So we motored the whole time.

Lots of people out fishing.

And several kayakers, too.

A local cormorant (I think!)

Finally approaching our rock carvings.

Coming into view now.

These are contemporary carvings: started in 1976, and completed in 1980. It's inspired by a tattooed face.

The carvings are only accessible by water.

There are many smaller carvings on the rocks next to the flat face.

Well worth the visit.

While we were there, a mum and her babies came up to see if we had any food scraps for them.

Great views of the posh summer homes overlooking the water in Acacia Bay.

Another local cormorant (what they call 'little shag') on our way back.

A sea plane getting ready to take off.

There it goes!

Next stop: the Taupo Market, which takes place weekly on Saturday mornings.

An interesting assortment of local handicraft and snacks.

Real fruit ice cream seems to be a thing.

Enjoying our pies.

This golden is enjoying lunch time, too, it seems!

Also spotted in Taupo: the last movie theatre to post a print-out with its showtimes.

Next stop: Huka Falls.

Huka Falls drains Lake Taupo. At this spot, the river narrows from a width of 100m to only 15m!

Over 200 cubic meters of water pass over the falls every second!

Elevated view.

Brilliant "blue" water.

And very noisy, as you can imagine!

Giant pinecones! Everywhere!

And going for a stroll along the Great Lake walkway.

Here comes a local Taupo duck to say hello to the tourists.

Is this his wife?

Two birds and a lake.

Lots of parasailers out in the afternoon.

A novel local attraction: Hole in One Taupo.

You guessed it! Big prizes if you can hit a hole-in-one onto this small island.

It's a surprisingly popular attraction.

Ladies' turn!

More parasailers.

And lots of beachgoers, undeterred by the cooler weather.

A cyclist.

Those enjoying the water sports.

Tall trees.

The lab doesn't mind the weather at all!

Watch out, swan!

Paddleboarding - or attempting to!

Better touch the water! Actually, it was warmer than it looked.

A local sparrow.

Colorful kayaks for rent.

Here comes our boat, returning from its afternoon rock carving tour.

Do I look like the Maori tiki?

This McDonalds has its own DC3 airplane! How often do you see that!?

After 6pm, the local fair revs up.

Very popular with the kids!

We go sheep spotting instead. "Yes, can we help you?"

How New Zealand!

Grazing until the sun goes down.

Picturesque sunset over Lake Taupo.

The ducks know he's eating something -- and won't let him forget their presence.

Spot the bossy duck!

Final long drive of the trip: from Taupo to Napier.

Spot the sheep!

A quick stop at a scenic viewpoint: Waipunga Falls.

First stop: the Hastings Farmers Market, a weekly affair on Sunday mornings.

This one put the Taupo Market to shame: it seems to attract everyone in town!

Lots of visitors and vendors!

Queues for most stalls - including the Dosas!

We got ourselves some fresh peaches and plums!

A different definition of the "bean bag"!

Avos of all sizes.

A great place for lunch - if you have patience, and lots of sunscreen!

Posing with Nic Tucker, the artist who makes the beautiful wood block prints of NZ mountainscapes.

The Tongariro Crossing print we bought from her.

Some of the wood blocks used to make the print.

Her studio.

More works-in-progress in her studio. She and her husband just finished a tour of galleries in the South Island -- now that she has coverage, hopefully she'll gain noteriety.

And finally in Napier town center!

Napier is known for its ports, which facilitate the export of the wine and fruit grown in the Hawke's Bay area.

And its got its own great climate: warm and sunny 340 days of the year!

Looking north toward Bluff Hill (where we'd be staying).

Napier is known for its Art Deco architecture. After most of its commercial buildings were destroyed in the 1931 earthquake and fires, the town was rebuilt in an Art Deco style.

Here's the Napier Soundshell, getting ready for the New Years Eve performance.

More art deco downtown.

The Masonic Hotel.

Hawke's Bay Chambers.

Public Trust Office.

Criterion Hotel.

Municipal Theater (still used as such today!)

More art deco blocks.

The art deco goes well with the palm trees!

Parker's Chambers.

Even the Trinity Methodist Church.

A row of buildings unobstructed by ugly awnings.

Colenso Chambers.

Briasco's Buildings.

A bright alley way.

NFB (National Farmers' Bank??)

The Six Sisters - 6 houses built for someone's 6 daughters, which survived the 1931 earthquake and fires.

Our home for the night: Quarry Cottage.

An AirBnB on the bluff, overlooking the sea. It's an original cottage, built in the 1800s.

The views are spectacular.

Lovely patio.

And the sea.

Driving down to Cape Kidnappers: an 8km peninsula with steep cliffs and no public access (apart from the beach).

You can walk to the end, and see a large gannet colony there - but it takes 5 hours round-trip.

The cliffs!

One last walk for the trip: Te Mata peak, south of Napier. (See the tiny people?)

Te Mata peak rises 399 meters above the ground, providing great views of the Hawke's Bay area!

There are also lots of hiking and mountain biking trails - as you can see.

Standing on the edge of the world!

Just when we thought we were done hiking!

Very distinctive rock formations!

Hawke's Bay pano.

Tiny people, hiking. It's a popular spot with the locals.

It affords a great view of the many wineries in the region.

And the hills in the other direction.

Are these sheep? Or grains of rice?

Cows!

One last dinner. And it's -- of course -- Turkish!

The Napier fountain - lit up for Christmas. One of the town's big holiday pride pieces.

Along with the Christmas lights in these trees. Can you spot them?

A sunny breakfast before heading out.

Having one of the peaches we bought at the farmer's market yesterday!

A quick stroll around the neighborhood before hitting the road.

Great bluff views.

Here we are at the great Hawke's Bay Airport. Serving 652k pax per year, it's NZ's 7th busiest airport!!!

Here's our plane.

Enjoying a local wine (nevermind it's 9:30am) in the lounge before boarding.

Here we go! Pax boarding and disembarkation is only from the rear!

Great views of the surrounding hills...

... the airport, and Napier township in the backround...

... and the mountains of Tongariro National Park in the background.

Once in Auckland, we embark on a long walk between the domestic and international terminals.

The walk is so long, it takes you through a park... with a rest area!

Very informative: all airports should do this.

First to board our flight!

Someone's super thrilled to have live NFL in-flight! Bangkok, here we come!